Emuaid Explored

Basically, the feelings were that it’s probably a decent product because emu oil, one of its main ingredients, has been scientifically proven to reduce inflammation of the skin – BUT I have been unimpressed, and sometimes downright angry, with their marketing practices. So much so that I refused to even promote them as a treatment aid because they seem so willingly uninformed about what their ad copy was saying around the internet.

There are so many things wrong with this ad, I don’t even know where to begin…

Buuuutttt….with that saidddddd….

The founder of Emuaid, Richard Nicolo, has issued an apology to sufferers of Hidradenitis Suppurativa in regards to their marketing of the product. The apology reads as follows:

My name is Richard Nicolo and I am the founder of Emuaid and the President of Speer Laboratories. I would like to issue a sincere apology to all of the HS sufferers for the various misrepresentations that were erroneously made on behalf of Emuaid in some advertisements and online posts. It was never our intention to marginalize, mischaracterize or harm anyone in this community. Sadly, HS is a misunderstood condition and we as a company failed to fine tune our marketing copy to properly address the facts about HS. By no means did we ever intend to imply that HS is communicable or that it could be cured by our product…we know that it is neither contagious nor curable.

I originally developed this product to treat severe burn victims, however many other uses have been discovered by our customers. The versatility of Emuaid is due in large part to its superior anti-inflammatory properties and its success at reducing pain and infection. Thousands of people living with HS have found Emuaid effective at relieving many of their symptoms. We are often overwhelmed by the success stories HS sufferers report after trying our product. In many cases we don’t exactly [know] why it works, just that in certain cases it does. In fact, we are just at the beginning stages of researching the link between Emuaid’s action and its efficacy on HS.

I was diagnosed with leukemia 13 years ago and have received multiple treatments over the past 6 years. I know what it is like to live with a chronic disease and I have tremendous compassion for anyone facing an incurable condition. Because of this, I am personally regretful about any negativity our marketing copy has created. We are currently in the process of reviewing all our information related to HS to make sure the facts are correct and delivered succinctly.

In the meantime, I have decided to spearhead a small research trial to better understand the relationship between our product and the symptoms and side effects of HS. This will hopefully serve as the foundation for additional research. Currently, there are 100 openings for people with HS to participate in this study (please contact us at 800-881-3900 for the details).

Ultimately our primary goal is to help people, especially those who have been misdiagnosed, undervalued and underserved by the medical establishment. We do not want to create false hope or make empty promises but rather provide an effective alternative to the current options available to those with HS.

Again, my sincerest apologies,
Richard

This is a pretty big step for a company to take and, I have to admit, raises their image slightly for me.

I still have a few problems with Emuaid, though – but first, the good:

It has helped some people – I’ve witnessed it for myself. At least, there are people reporting fab results and I take them at their word.

They, as a company, do seem genuinely interested in finding out if their product can and does actually help people – again, always a plus!

The bad:

Well, even in his apology, Mr. Nicolo alludes to Hidradenitis as being an ‘infection.’ It is not. Sometimes, but not very often, the broken skin caused by HS can lead to an infection that has nothing to do with the actual cause of HS. I tend to be rigid about facts, annoyingly so, and to see a company possibly profiting off of the ill without being 100% factual just doesn’t sit right on my moral compass.

The ingredients* in no way justify the price, in my opinion. Emuaid is 48.00USD (That’s roughly about 26.00GBP) for a 2 oz. jar.

It contains ‘Colloidal Silver,’ which is a huge red flag in my mind. Colodial Silver is, for those who don’t know, essentially a teeenyyyy speck of ionized silver mixed in with a giant amount of water. You know, useless. Now, I have family members that swear by it and even make their own, but, sorry, the science just isn’t there for me personally. What I will say is that Colloidal Silver is being used in mainstream wound care. Even now my surgical wounds are being treated with AquacelAg (Ag being the symbol for silver on the periodic table), but even their site carries a warning against the efficacy of Colloidal Silver.

So, where am I at on the whole Emuaid debacle? Well, since the apology I feel less disgust with the company and I see nothing wrong with using Emuaid as a product – if you’re willing to fork out the money. I am not. I tend to be overly frugal and feel that if i can get a better deal somewhere else, I will. I know currently they have handed out free samples in order to run a sort of trial. Although, it is not a scientific trial done in laboratory settings, I’m still glad to see hurting people getting to use a product that may offer them some relief.

Me? I’ll stick to the cheap stuff on Amazon – but I will try and update the blog with my personal results using the pure emu oil and the results of others with the Emuaid.

I hope, for all our sakes, that there is some truth in their claims and that they would have the compassion to lower the price for those that are suffering with this horrendous and painful disease.

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5 thoughts on “Emuaid Explored”

Kiley, another great blog post that I thoroughly enjoyed reading! I agree about the price of Emuaid. It’s incredibly expensive and most people with HS (like us!) are already financially strapped with the high cost of treatment (insurance costs, co-pays, herbal treatments, unpaid leave from work…) as it is! I was very happy to see they were offering a jar for free to folks who wanted to participate in their open HS trial. Unfortunately, it was open to only 100 folks (maybe a bit more who were squeezed in at the last minute). It would be great if they would offer more than a 10% discount on their product. Perhaps a 25% HS discount and free shipping would be a good place to start, I think. 🙂 Thanks for spreading the word! I hope your recovery is going well and you are able to manage your pain right now. You remain in my thoughts and prayers, honey. Love & Hugs & Prayers & Blessings to you! 🙂

thank you patti! i think that the price is what bothers me so much. I wish they would run an actual scientific lab trial and then get with, perhaps, some dermatologists or other medical professionals and sell the product at cost or slightly higher. i am uncomfortable with people making a profit off of the ill, sick or unfortunate. currently, i’m working on my own formula that i’m hoping to begin experimenting with on myself next week. it’s completely different from emuaid’s, with the exception that it does contain emu oil – but i’ve learned a few things in my travels that i think that might be a key, scientifically speaking. if it works for me, then i want to offer it to the group – then get with some derms and start offering it at cost or free to those who can’t afford to pay. (i’m rambling, i know, but i haven’t slept, LOLOL) i think that another thing that bothers me with emuaid is the, “we don’t know why it works but it works!” sentiment. i’m big on science and if i can prove my formula works, i know exactly why!

Kiley, I so agree about the price issue and the purpose of creating a product — to help those who are suffering and not charge exorbitant prices. $48 + S&H is just too much for 2oz of product. So happy to hear that you are working on your own product! Wow! I’m impressed! Is there ANYTHING you CAN’T do, young lady? I think not! I wish you the best of luck with your formulation of your product and testing it on yourself and your philosophy for making it available at cost or sharing it with those who can’t afford it. You have a big heart and generous spirit. That’s another reason you are such an AMAZING young woman! Keep up the good work and keep me posted on your progress (both surgical recovery and product testing). As always, you are in my thoughts and prayers. Love & Hugs! 🙂

Newly diagnosed and surgically treated, the lumps are back in the worst place. Thank you for the article, Kylie! Very informative even years old. I am curious what is the “cheap stuff on Amazon.” Thank you. Severely suffering here.

I have not tried Emuaid but found your posts to be very enlightening, thank you!
I have suffered from HS for over 30 years and it was always misdiagnosed, usually as a staff infection. My outbreaks were either in my armpits or the groin and buttocks area. A year ago, my physician determined that I had HS (after MUCH research) and prescribed clindamycin gel 1%. It has been the ONLY treatment that has helped. It does require a prescription but even without insurance it can be purchased with a coupon from GoodRx at CVS for $23 (30gram tube). Clindamycin helps shorten the length of an outbreak.
I have also found while going through menopause and going off of birth control pills that the flare up’s are much less frequent and I have fewer, smaller cysts when I do have one. There is definitely a hormonal connection. I hope this may be of some help. Prayers and positive thoughts! ❤